


Change (Innocent Eyes Edition)

by thegogglesdonothing (genderneutralnoun)



Series: Water and Scales (Full Innocent Eyes Edition) [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Dragons, F/F, Femslash, Fluff and Angst, Foreshadowing, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, Intersex Character, Intersex Lucina, Pregnancy, The Family You Make, Unplanned Pregnancy, minor cliffhanger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-06
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-07-07 18:09:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15913533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genderneutralnoun/pseuds/thegogglesdonothing
Summary: Verb; to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone.Change is not simply for the better or worse, just like any action is not simply good or bad.





	1. Journey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think this chapter seems a little stilted, you're right. The [original edition](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12910755/chapters/29496561) had explicit content, but in the name of accessibility, I've posted this SFW version.

Robin awoke to biting-cold air on her face and her wife leaning over her, smiling. "Mmffg?" she said intelligently.

Lucina chuckled. "Good morning, dear," she said affectionately. "How'd you enjoy sleeping in?"

Robin blinked the fuzz out of her eyes and sat up. She and the taller girl were settled in a mostly-empty, wooden supply cart, being carried along by what looked like Stahl's horse and a pack mare- was it Judy? Closer inspection of the mount proved that she had the same speckled pattern on her rump and along her snout. Yes, it was Judy.

Around them, other carrier horses trotted, their pace set by the heavier carts. Ahead, Frederick sat high in his seat, carried by Marble as always, though she was unarmored. Behind were a few more horses, then what parts of their company weren't ahead of Frederick.

"Wha' happened?" Robin rubbed her eyes with her sleeve. "Risen riding wolves?"

Lucina chuckled. (Ever since the tactician had shouted the phrase as she was awoken by one of Lissa's wilder pranks, it had come to mean "a situation so ridiculous and/or complicated that we don't have the time to explain it right now".) "No, nothing so exciting as that," she said. "All that happened was, none of us really wanted to wake you up after last night, but we couldn't delay our march; so I picked you up and put you into one of the supply carts. It was no trouble, I assure you," the princess added as Robin's brow creased. She cupped her wife's cheek in her hand and finished, "It was actually quite sweet, sitting with you while you were sleeping."

The shorter girl blushed. "O-Oh, stop," she said, turning her face away shyly. "You're just saying that..."

"No, I'm not," Lucina insisted. Her legs were already stretched out over the floor of the cart, so she leaned down to rest her torso on it as well, bringing her face to the same level as Robin's. "In fact, I'll show you my sincerity right now..."

After a pleasantly surprised squeak, there wasn't need for any more words.

Sully twisted in her seat, looking back to the cart she and her steed were only a few feet ahead of. The redhead chuckled to see Chrom's daughter and their tactician entwined in a very compromising position. She beckoned to Stahl, riding opposite of her, and pointed to the couple. "Absolutely disgusting," she said approvingly. Stahl nodded sagely.

 

* * *

 

Later that day, as the sun glittered from a cold distance overhead, Robin found herself thinking of the ornate ring that was still unfamiliar to her third finger, and the simpler, gold band that accompanied it. They had wed quickly and without ceremony, as had any others whose partnerships blossomed on the war trail. All it consisted of was a brief stop at an appropriate temple, Libra's presiding over the rites, the recital of vows, and a few witnesses. The semi-obligatory kiss had happened anyway, since they didn't need anything to enjoy that. Robin still blushed to think of it, as well as the night they'd had afterword.

In that line of thought, the tactician glanced over at Lucina, who was sleeping herself, now. The princess had, since their first time together, become gradually more initiative and less inhibited. Robin saw this as a good thing; it meant Lucina was familiarizing herself with her as well as the reality of having a love, and she wanted that for the bluette. The slighter girl knew, more than anyone else, how much she needed it. Lucina had such a hard past, one that made it so hard for her to let herself feel; and the fact that she now had something so intensely emotional and rewarding, meant that she could learn to open up to that, at the very least. And after the war, they'd have the rest of their lives to heal, in every way.

It was a start.

 

* * *

 

By sundown, camp had been quickly made where they found themselves. They had long since reached the point where snow was in plentiful amounts on the ground, and Robin, having fallen asleep again, woke with a shiver. She rubbed at her eyes and tried to sit up, but Lucina scooped her up in her arms instead, before jumping down off the cart with her in tow.

"Nerd," the blonde said, trying to keep from stammering and hiding it under a tease. Her wife only grinned, and Robin resigned herself to a flustered silence. It didn't help that Lucina wrapped her own cloak; a thick and fluffy one she had put on over her usual one for warmth; around the tactician to protect her from the cold.

Lucina finally put Robin down in her tent, but she didn't leave; something that surprised the blonde. "What's up?" she asked, trying not to focus on how her wife's fingers were tracing her face.

"Nothing much," she said, still smiling. "Just thinking about how beautiful you are. Still are; you were impossibly beautiful when I first fell in love with you, and you get more beautiful by the day."

Robin flushed darkly. "Um," she stammered, not able to find any words in her haze. "Uh, um,"

Lucina's hand wandered, almost lazily, down to her chest. "How cold are you?" she said conversationally, brushing a finger across Robin's left breast and smiling when she felt a subtle bump through the flexible fabric. "Or, more importantly, how tired are you?"

"U-um? I'm pretty cold, b-but, not that tired- ooh." At her last word, Lucina pressed her thumb into Robin gently, having rested her palm over the center.

"Did that warm you up?" the bluette teased gently.

"Mm-hmm," her wife said dreamily. "That... mmm. Uh, ah, yeah..." She leaned into Lucina's hand with a sigh as the princess gently massaged her soft, malleable chest, and moaned pleasurably when her right breast found attention as well. "Oh, Luci..."

The taller woman licked her lips. "I've been thinking about you all day," she whispered, curling a leg around Robin's back. "Wanting you... I didn't even get respite when I slept, because then I dreamed." The quality of her voice, thick with arousal, made the tactician shudder.

"Dreamed of me?" she asked, though she knew the answer. Lucina nodded, then shifted closer and took possession of her mouth.

"Mmmmn." Robin let her wife take the lead, not pushing back much except to curl her tongue around the base of Lucina's as the latter ran her tip along the far end of her lover's jaw. Then, surprising the shorter girl, she shifted back slightly and twirled her tongue around the inside of Robin's lips, brushing against her front teeth; succeeding in making her wife moan as she touched sensitive skin.

After a time that both seemed an eternity and felt far too short, they pulled apart, Robin with her eyes closed in bliss. "That... was awesome," she panted. "Do you wanna go again, or...?"

"I think you know," Lucina said playfully.

Robin grinned as they collapsed happily under the sheets, eager to be together after a long, tedious day of traveling.


	2. Discovery

Lucina almost seemed to be staring down the temple entrance, as if she hoped it would suddenly and inexplicably open its secrets to her, or something of the sort. Robin held her hand and rubbed her thumb in a circle on the princess’s palm, offering silent support.

“Chrom said it would be better to learn it all from here, anyway,” the tactician said in a trying-to-be-reassuring tone. Lucina grunted in acknowledgement. Chrom had, in fact, said that, after his daughter finally cornered him with several complicated (but nonetheless important) questions. It wasn’t unlikely that he had said so to get out of explaining it, but it still probably had quite a bit of truth to it.

“Why are we doing this?” Lucina said suddenly, breaking her own silence. “It’s not like we have the time to spend, to even decide if we _want_ that.”

Robin had anticipated this, and so already had the answer ready. “Because we need to know these things if we’re going to be intimate,” she said calmly. “We need to know your limits, and where to stop. Like you said, we don’t have the time to deal with… that, ideally.”

The bluette rubbed her forehead with a sigh, her stance dropping for a moment. “You’re right,” she said softly. “It’s just, this is so… sudden, it’s moving so fast. And I’m not saying that we should slow down- we don’t have _time_ to, dammit- it’s just…”

“You feel sorry.” Robin’s voice was quiet. “Sorry, for the fact that we won’t be able to do this right. That this is so precious, but we don’t have the chance to savor it.”

Lucina blinked hard several times, her eyes glittering with what she was holding back. “Exactly,” she said hoarsely. The princess let herself be led through the archway silently.

 

* * *

 

The inside was quiet. An oddly cheerful firepit crackled at the center of the room. What parts of the room it wasn’t near were lit by winter sunlight peeking through the holes in thin, white, woven drapes that was hung over what were presumably windows, keeping the interior safe from any weather that could blow out the fire. At the back was a space that looked the same as the other windows, but was not covered and had a pane. It was a well-crafted work showing the creation of the Falchion and Naga’s ascension into slumber, made with rare colored glass pieces. In the afternoon, Robin thought, when the sun was on the other side of the building, it must shine through the window and cast colors on the floor. The two windows closest to it had much thicker coverings and did not let in light.

Other than that, it was oddly bare. There was no door to what had appeared from outside to be an offshoot structure across the main room. On the opposite side of the contained flame, an odd podium was built into the ground.

Lucina walked over to it curiously. The flat part where one might put something to read from had odd, handprint-shaped indentations in it. Automatically, she put her palms to it.

Both heard a sort of scraping sound from behind the princess, and one of the windows near the stained-glass one suddenly had its drape pulled back, from the outside. Out popped a head from the opening, and it was one that neither of them expected.

“Chrom?” said the head, seemingly unaware of the completely bewildered couple in front of her. “Chrom? Where are you? Why- the muck.” The last part she added as she caught sight of them. On her rather long neck, she turned her head to face Lucina and narrowed her eyes at her, causing the princess to snatch away her hands from the podium with a guilty expression.

“Who’re y’all,” the dragon said as she stepped down from the window- for it _was_ a dragon, or at least, that was the closest thing they could think of to it. Her head was set on a neck, thickly muscled like a python’s, but somehow much more graceful than that sounds. She had a snout and jaw quite like Nowi’s, but her ears were wider and fuller, looking almost mammalian as they twitched and swiveled. As well, she had a full crest of feathers just behind her ears, which looked as if it could puff up in emotion, as it now quivered with her surprise. Huge, feathery wings were tucked along her sides, each sprouting from a shoulder. Her back legs were thick, then thinned out to lithe muscle, much like a horse, but the long, thick tail spinning idly from behind ruined the effect quite a bit. On each of her limbs were- paws? feet? They couldn’t all be feet, as the ones on her forelimbs had opposable thumbs, and worked both to hold her up and to grasp things. Each digit (three on each, then a fourth that was a thumb on the front and a higher stub on the back) ended in a noticeable claw, though they seemed to be set at an odd angle that let the dragon hold the tips off the floor, as well as giving it finger pads for holding things. Everywhere except the palms of her paws (that seeming the most appropriate word) and what could be considered her face (most of her head, ending just below her cheeks and not extending to the bottom of her lower jaw) was covered in soft, aerodynamic down, excluding a set of long feathers that sprouted near the tip of her tail and the primaries and secondaries in her wings. “No, seriously. I know it’s ain’t every day ya see a dragon talkin’, but y’all came in here, and I watch this place. First of all, who’s _dat,_ ” she said this as she gestured to Lucina, “and why the flyin’ flip does the ‘dium recognize ya as ‘elisan royalty?”

“Um,” said the princess, “I am Lucina, of the direct house of Ylisse. This is my wife, Robin.” Robin waved politely. “It stills feels weird saying that. Uh, we’ve come to inquire about… things.”

“Things,” the dragon said archly. “‘Things’ ken mean an awful lotta things, ya know that? And explain t’ me, where the ‘ell did ya come frum? Accordin’ to the record- and considerin’ _I’_ been keeping the record for the past… how long’s it been? Thirty… three? Thirty-four?” She shook her head. “Not too long, but m’ point is, before Chrom or even Emmeryn were born, so itsin my ‘ead as well.” Her eyes narrowed suddenly. “You a bastard child? Not that there’s anythin’ wrong with that,” she added quickly, nodding to the princess, “but we gotta keep records… m’be yer parents died before they could tell me themselves…”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing like that,” Lucina said hastily. “I’m Chrom’s daughter. From the future,” she added awkwardly.

The dragon’s mouth dropped open. “Shut up,” she said in shock.

“It’s a very long story,” Robin cut in. “If it doesn’t bother you, we could tell you…”

“Nah. Just need yer permission.” The dragon walked up to Robin, and held out a flat hand, hovering over the tactician’s face. “May I kindly pull the info from yer mind? I won’t look at anythin’ else, swear.”

“Uh, sure.” The dragon pressed her palm into Robin’s forehead, closing her eyes briefly; and suddenly, the tactician felt her memories of finding out, and the things they had learned since then, float to the top of her consciousness. They almost seemed to waver slightly, like how sight does in intense heat, then they stopped and sank slightly, ready to be filed back away as if she had simply brought them up herself. The experience was a little unsettling, as anyone only ever knows the intimate details of these processes on a subconscious level, and having them triggered by an outside force brings one into acute awareness of them.

The dragon nodded, pulling her paw away from Robin’s face. “Guess that’s a thing now,” she said mildly. “C’mon, follow me.”

“Just like that?” Lucina said disbelievingly.

“I don’t question the evidence of the mind, dear princess,” the dragon replied smoothly, her tone of voice changing to be more formal quite suddenly. “That is for much higher ranked individuals than I. And you’re getting what you came for, so why be upset?”

Lucina opened her mouth, then closed it again. Robin grabbed her hand gently and led her up to the ledge the dragon had just leapt onto. “Name’s Aya, by the by,” the dragon said. “I’m one of th’ priestesses at this here temple. No title or nonsense, just call me Aya. ‘m just an intern, after all.”

“They have interns in… whatever society you hail from? If I may ask?” The drape was pulled aside to reveal a dim room with nothing more than a spiral staircase leading into the ground. For some reason, there was also a somewhat steep ramp wrapped around the staircase, which Aya took while the couple stepped onto the stairs. The stairway and ramp were perfectly aligned, somehow, letting them see and speak to each other through the railings.

“Yah, it’s fine.” Aya twirled her tail absently. “We’ve a nice lil’ community pretty far south, past what yer kind calls the wildforests. We chose there ‘cause of how dangerous they’re for humans; we didn’ want anyone findin’ out about too easily.”

“Huh,” Lucina said.

Aya turned to the princess suddenly, stopping on the ramp. “You really don’ know any o’ this stuff?” she asked, tilting her head in a way that was remarkably like a curious dog. “I mean, I’m makin’ sure. Didn’ yer dad tell yeh any stories about mystical servants of Naga? Anythin’? Think real careful now.”

Lucina frowned. “No… or, wait, yes.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I remember Father would tell me bedtime stories about something like that… yes, servants of Naga, that lived far away from the rest of the world, ‘so that you or I would never see them…’”

“Oh, he read from the book,” Aya said, nodding. “How much di’ya hear?”

“I can recall… stories about you watching the flame for Naga, and crafting beautiful things in Her name.” Lucina smiled briefly. “Actually, my favorite stories were the ones he didn’t read out. Stories about the nice people at the temple… You know, he always used an accent for this one person. It… I think it sounded like a really bad imitation of yours.”

Aya chuckled. “Of course. My accent is pretty iconic.”

“Of course, he never said they were…” Lucina fidgeted with the Falchion anxiously. “Uh, what… what do you… call yourselves?”

“The Nagaia.” The dragon twirled her tail aimlessly. “For plural. Adjective, Nagaian; singular, Nagai. For example, I am a Nagai. This is a Nagaian temple.”

“Nagaia, yes,” Lucina said, still lost in thought. “He just said they- you?- were ‘the kin of Naga and dragons’, whatever that means.”

Aya snorted. “I always forge’ about tha’ line. It’s ‘prolly more accurate than them writers knew themselves…”

Robin was about to query further, but found herself quite out of words when their escort pulled back the curtain at the bottom of the stairs. She was probably openly gaping, but she didn’t care. It was incredible.

The small archway opened up into a vast underground hall, smooth, patterned and multi-colored marble making up the walls. The far end and ceiling almost looked as if it was made out of a huge, natural slate of the stuff that the place had been built around; it was bulbous and misshapen, as if they were looking at pan of boiling water that had been frozen in time and placed upside-down. It was pure marble with not a trace of other rock; it had to have been polished. Torches lined the noticeably smoother side walls, each positioned above an archway that presumably led off to some sort of passage.

At the back was a sort of altar, made out of marble as well, that had a fire burning in the cavity below, making it look like an oven of some sort. Other marble structures surrounded it, too numerous and detailed to be described; many had jewelry or dried food on them, so it looked like a sort of offering place. A weathered, gnarled wooden staff was laid lengthways on the center of the table, just above the crackling fire.

“Wow,” said Lucina.

“You can say that again,” Robin remarked mildly.

“Wow.” The princess grinned mischievously, and rubbed her arm ruefully after Robin punched it playfully (and gently). “Is this how you treat your wife?” she said in mock-indignance. “Not very good form for a tactician, I’ll say.”

“I’ll show you good form,” Robin huffed, before moving in closer. Further teasing was irrelevant after that.

Aya snickered and left the lovebirds to their moment. She padded across the floor, ears held up and swiveling, the slits at the end of her snout twitching as she sniffed. The dragon found the scent she was looking for, and grinned.

“I’ll be back right quick,” she called back to the couple, chuckling as she twisted her neck to find them still locked in a rather compromising position. The blonde gave Aya a thumbs-up without breaking away.

 

* * *

 

“This is Lowa.”

Aya had returned, a taller, slimmer version of her in tow. The two dragons looked very similar at first, with all the same anatomy, but once you get used to how they move and hold themselves differently, one can easily tell them apart.

“Pleased to meet you, Lowa,” Robin said, bowing politely. Lucina imitated the gesture beside her, and as a result, neither saw the two dragons exchange amused glances.

“So, you are Princess Lucina, correct?” Lowa strode forward as the couple straightened back up. When the bluette nodded, the priestess turned her head to Robin. “So that would make you the Consort. What have you told them so far, Aya?”

“I’ll get ta’ that ina moment,” Aya said breezily. “Lowa is Maternity Priestess here, but don’t be intimidated by the fancy title. She’s the expert on plenty of other health-related matters.” Was it just her, or did Robin see the shorter dragon look away shyly? “So, obviously the dragon you’re looking for.”

“Yesh,” Robin said ridiculously, breaking the brief tension that had settled over the four.

Lowa spoke again. “Would you rather us talk your ear off, or read at your own pace?”

Robin perked up immediately. “Read, please,” she asked. “It’ll go faster, and I’ll remember better.

The pair was handed two copies of a leather-bound book that looked old but practically untouched. “We got hundreds of ‘dese,” Aya informed them, enjoying the way Robin’s eyes went very wide at her words. “Don’ worry about ‘em. Go wild, we don’ care.”

“Or better yet, keep them for reference,” Lowa said drily. Aya ducked her head, embarrassed. The taller priestess made playful shooing motions to her partner, smiling lopsidedly. “Now, get along and tell the others. After you read through that, I’ll give the Consort a checkup.” The latter part she addressed to the couple, causing Robin to look up from her book, having started it already. “Nothing major; it’s routine, tradition. We just need to confirm the functionality of certain parts.”

“Alright.” Robin’s nose was already in the book again, and it was hard for Lowa to restrain a chuckle. Lucina read over her wife’s shoulder, through it was clear that she wasn’t following exactly; more watching the blonde as she fell into a trance of focus. The priestess couldn’t help feeling a little like she was intruding; the two of them so obviously adored each other in every way, and weren’t afraid to show it. _Naga’s line is indeed blessed,_ she thought to herself. _With such strong heirs, they never settle for less than a true partner. And so the line is strengthened with each generation… Their unfailing faithfulness will probably continue to amaze me every time._

Lowa broke out of her thoughts when Robin snapped the book shut, announcing she was done. (The biggest thing she took from it was that there was a specific process for the heir to even become fertile, so there was no chance of unwanted distractions.) “That was fast,” the priestess said mildly.

“It’s a gift,” the blonde said smugly. Lucina snorted.

“Are you ready?” Lowa gestured to Robin, turning to the hallway she had come from earlier. The tactician followed, waving to Lucina as she left.

The princess waved back, but that didn't help the odd sense of unease she felt, just standing there. With nothing better to do, she started to flip through the book. She finished it long, long before her wife returned.

 

* * *

 

When they were out of sight, Robin nudged Lowa. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, Consort,” the dragon replied. Robin withheld her sigh of exasperation.

“Please don't call me that.”

“Of course, milady.”

“Just Robin is fine, really.”

Lowa arched her eyebrow (eye ridge? Whatever it was.) at the blonde. “But I couldn’t, she said smoothly. “You are a princess of the Ylissean royal line, who I am sworn to serve. I couldn’t possibly disrespect you so!”

“I'm not a- oh, wait, I am now, aren't I?” Robin lightly smacked her palm to her forehead. “I didn't really think about that…”

“See?” Lowa’s eyes danced mischievously. “You are royalty by law and bond. In name, even- unless you kept your maiden one?”

Robin’s cheeks burned. “I didn't have one,” she said softly. “I was found, about two years ago, with no memory of anything but my first name.” Her feet scuffed the marble floor. “I wasn't even really thinking about that, we kind of eloped recently.”

The priestess’s ears shot up. “A direct princess of Ylisse, eloping,” she repeated. “Not to judge your life choices, but Lucina didn't strike me as the type…”

“No, it's not like that,” Robin assured her. “We're- humanity's kind of in the middle of a war, if you didn't know. Lucina wanted us to be together as quickly and officially as possible, because we, we didn't know if we would have the chance to, later; and we’d rather just be married now so…”

“I've heard enough.” Lowa’s voice was softer than Robin had heard it before, and the tactician looked up to see real sympathy in the dragon's eyes. “I apologize for bringing up such a sensitive topic… Robin.”

The petite woman broke into a smile. “Thank you,” she said warmly.

Lowa smiled back. When a dragon did it, it was odd; almost like how a dog pulls back its lips when it pants, but the priestess’s teeth stayed firmly together; enough that Robin could catch a glimpse of the impressive variety of teeth that dragons had, from unnerving front fangs like those of a snake’s to a set at the back that pressed flatly together, like a built-in clamp or straightener. For some reason, Robin got the feeling that those were used for grooming. Despite the odd appearance, it was quite comforting.

They had reached an archway, barred by a light purple, silken curtain. “This is the place,” Lowa said, a clawed hand pulling aside the curtain. “The only people on staff here beside me are Aya, the firekeepers, the communicator, and our runner; none of which have any business up here, so don't be shy.”

“Um, okay.” Logic said that the firekeepers kept the torches and candles burning, and the runner obviously meant foot messenger, but Robin couldn't figure out what “the communicator” would do. Wasn't the runner responsible for that? _Unless they're communicating with things you can't run to,_ the tactician couldn't help thinking.

Robin followed Lowa into the small, surprisingly cozy room. The curtain fell back into place as she passed, and the priestess had the shorter woman sit cross-legged on a thick, squishy, soft blanket.

“Dragons aren’t really fans of traditional seating,” Lowa said apologetically. “Since humans don’t come here very regularly anymore, we’ve, uh, renovated.”

“That’s fine,” Robin said truthfully. “This is actually quite comfortable. Remind me, when the war’s over, to have one made for wherever I’ll be living.”

“I’ll do that, then.” Lowa pointed to where a stiffer pillow, much like the back of a couch, was attached to the wall. “You can lean back or stretch your legs out, it’s fine. It’s better to be comfortable for this.”

“Will… Is it going to hurt?” Robin asked, wincing at the quaver in her voice.

“No, not at all.” The dragon looked like she was washing something in a basin that Robin hadn’t noticed originally. “The readings will be more accurate if you don’t twitch or shift too much; so do get into a position you’ll be fine with for five minutes or so.” Lowa stepped to the side so Robin could see what she was holding. It was some kind of silken towel, the color reminding the tactician of the Falchion’s sheath, or the red on her ring. (As she thought of it, she touched it with her right hand subconsciously; the weight reassuring.) As she watched, Lowa wrung it out; then, startling Robin, she abruptly shook it out, flapping it in an attempt to air it out somewhat. It was surprisingly skillful.

When she was done, the priestess walked over to where Robin was now lying comfortably. “Give me your hand. Dominant one, please,” she commanded, suddenly all business again. The tactician obliged, holding out her left hand.

Lowa took it and wrapped the still-damp towel around her palm, like she was bandaging a cut. There was silence as the dragon stared intently at the cloth, Robin just sitting there and trying not to fidget.

“Other hand,” she said finally. Lowa took the towel off and put it on the blonde’s left hand promptly.

As Robin lay still, she couldn’t help noticing that the priestess's brow was furrowed, and only deepened as the procedure continued. “Alright,” she said finally, after having checked the tactician’s forehead as well. “You’re gonna need to get out of that cloak, and roll up your shirt. Don’t worry, I won’t tell Lucina.” The corner of Lowa’s mouth twitched, giving away her jape.

Robin smiled, then did as asked. The dragon’s eyes followed her cloak as it was tossed aside, but whatever it was, Lowa was looking back to the woman within seconds. The priestess ran her hand across Robin’s stomach as soon as it was bared, her surprisingly cold, scaled palm startling the tactician. Lowa’s fingers ran down to her navel, where she kept her hand for a long time.

Finally, she stood up. “Stay like that for a moment,” she asked, and Robin nodded. Lowa brought the towel back to the basin, washing it out again. She wrung it out, but did not shake it, the blonde noted with some curiosity.

Lowa sat down beside her again, and did almost the exact same thing with her hand, only with the towel over Robin’s skin. Then, to the smaller woman’s surprise, the dragon began to gently run the towel over her skin as if washing it. Then, with a ceremonial air, she gently touched the tip of her snout- the slight bump that seemed to be the equivalent to a human’s nose- to Robin’s stomach, just above her navel.

The priestess met her eyes. “Congratulations,” Lowa said, her voice mildly surprised.

“What,” Robin deadpanned. “You can’t- or do you mean what I think you mean? You don’t, right?”

“Of course I do,” Lowa said easily. “I mean, perhaps it’s a little surprising; but you were intimate before being wed, correct? And I’ll admit your slight figure could lead to health concerns, but we’ve got solutions for that-”

“I mean, you said it could- it would only happen if we- and we _weren't,_ she didn't… Neither of us planned for it. We didn't even know that we _could_ till we came here!”

Lowa blinked. “You're serious?”

“I'm serious. We wouldn't have planned for it, with everything else going on now, and Lucina- I know her, she would _never_ go into something like this without talking to me. She’ll probably find this more upsetting than I will, honestly.”

The priestess frowned. “I believe you, of course,” she reassured Robin. “But it simply doesn't add up- first of all, why would the heir not know how to do it? Why wouldn't she know that she could?”

“She’s from the future, remember?” Robin fidgeted with her ring. “And a disastrous future. She didn’t really have time to learn about that stuff beyond the… basics.”

Lowa flicked her ears forward and knit her brows(?) together. After a moment of that, she began pacing, muttering to herself. “There’s no way… even if she didn’t know, they’re infertile by default, and you can’t change it without knowing… unless… but only one of _them_ could, and there’s no… wait.” Quite suddenly, she whirled to face the tactician, her face now completely composed.

“Uh?” Robin was very confused.

“Don't worry about it,” the priestess said. “I'm afraid I can't tell you exactly why- those are closely guarded Nagaian secrets- and I am truly sorry for that, but all I can do is offer caretaking advice.”

“Okay,” Robin said, a little disappointed. Lowa, though sassy and no-nonsense, exuded an aura of trustworthiness. If she couldn't tell her, there was probably a good reason for it, but it still hurt a little. “So, do you want to advise us after we tell Luci the good news, or what?”

“I think that would be best, yes.” The dragon had to withhold the loud _d’awww_ that wanted to make itself known at the sound of Robin’s nickname for her wife. “Then I won’t have to say everything twice.”


	3. Expectancy

“Lucina?”

The princess jolted at hearing her name. _Robin_ was the one thought that went through her mind; with her nerves already on edge, she found herself dashing to the source of the voice before she could even fully process it.

Lucina skidded to a halt as her mind caught up to her feet, stopping just short of grabbing the smaller girl into her arms. Instead, her eyes landed on Robin’s; they were crinkled happily, but also a little wet.

Before the taller girl had the chance to ask about that, Robin kissed her.

Lucina let out a squeak of surprise. It wasn’t the steamiest kiss they had shared, certainly; but it went deep quickly as the smaller girl twisted her head to better match her wife’s lips with hers. It was passionate but tender, and (in Lucina’s opinion) a little bit too short.

When Robin slid back, her eyes were closed, and she licked her lips almost absentmindedly. “That was good,” she said, opening her eyes again to stare into Lucina’s. “Sorry if that was sudden. I just needed to say thank you.”

Lucina’s heart stopped. “For what?” she asked, her voice quiet.

With a quiet, caring smile, Robin’s hand went down to cradle the curve of her stomach. “Lucina,” she said, her voice soft, “I’m pregnant.”

Breath stolen from her by surprise and unsure what else to do, Lucina seized her wife, holding her tightly as her arms shook. Her hand went to Robin’s hair; Robin, her wife, who in just two words, was suddenly twice over again as precious to her. Her hand traveled down next to the tactician’s, feeling the almost undetectable stiffness there. “Robin,” she said at last. “Oh, Robin, I… How, why…?”

“I think you know perfectly well how,” Robin whispered, making Lucina blush. “As for why… who knows? This seems to be what fate has decided for us.”

“Robin, don't-”

“Hold a minute, dear. Listen.” The slighter woman’s hand found its way into Lucina’s, and all at once, the princess became more aware than ever of how tiny and fragile Robin was against her, how beautiful and full of life she was. “It’s what happened. And I, for one, am going to make the most of it. That’s what I mean by ‘what fate has decided’- I mean that this is the reality now, and I don’t think we should dwell on the hows and whys. I think we should celebrate this for what it is, and not mourn for what it isn’t. Because life, especially _your_ life- no, _our_ lives, all three of us, now- is too short, too precious to spend on the things we can’t control.”

Lucina closed her eyes and hugged her wife closer. She hated that she was crying, even though they were partially tears of joy; they were more from a deeply buried pain, something that sat in the pit of her like a stone of darkness. Perhaps it was because now Robin was even more vulnerable than before. Perhaps it was because her life and the lives around her were all changing so fast. Perhaps it was because Lucina was worried that this wasn’t what Robin wanted; that she’d gone too far too quickly, and now her wife just didn’t want to say that aloud. Out of all the reasons, one was obviously the truth, but accepting it would mean really believing the words she told herself every day- that things were getting better, that there was hope for all the world, and most of all that there was hope for _her;_ she wasn’t a worthless, broken person for all the things she’d seen and heard and had to do, had to say.

In Lucina’s arms, Robin could sense the turmoil from her wife; or perhaps she simply knew the woman well enough that she didn’t need the way her sobs were choked and breathless to tell her what ran through her mind. And she could see that truth, too; though it hurt her as well to accept it. It was that this thing, this hurt that Lucina had balled up inside her, was unbearable when she touched it; even if it was to strip away the layers and begin healing, every time she had to even think about it, she was drenched in shame and guilt and hatred.

Robin knew that feeling. She knew it very well.

“Robin, I…” Lucina sniffled, her breath steadying slightly. “I, I don't know what to say. I don’t… I don’t want you to be unhappy…”

“Lucina,” Robin said again. “I’m not. I… perhaps this isn’t what I would have chosen right now, but you know what? It’s worth it. It’s worth it for the gift you’ve given me, given to both of us; this new life we’ll get to share together, and with the whole world. If it’s too soon, that’s only because of the danger we’ll be in- but I have faith that you’ll protect me, protect _us._ ”

“I… Oh, gods, Robin, I love you.” Over the smaller woman’s stomach, the two’s hands intertwined. “You always know what to say… I promise; I'll say it again as many times as you need, I _will_ protect you. I'll protect both of you, all of us, o-our, our future…”

“Our future,” Robin repeated. “I like the sound of that. Ours… all of us. Our future will be shared with everyone else; Chrom, Lissa, Owain, everyone we’ve cared about; but it’s firstly ours, just ours. You, me, and the future we’ve made together.”

Lucina was crying again, but this time it didn’t hurt as much. They were definitely tears of joy, now- an elation at having such a wonderful wife and a similarly wonderful future to look forward to, together.

 _But first things first,_ she reminded herself sternly. _We need to end this danger. And we’re close, so close we could taste it- and I know I’ll fight all the harder for a end, now that I know what I’ve to gain by it!_

 

* * *

 

Lowa waited until the tears stopped to poke her head around the corner- and almost regretted it immediately, as the two were smooching again. It was all very well and good that the heir and her wife were so affectionate, but the priestess had a job to do, one she’d like to be done before the evening meal.

“ _Excuse_ me,” she said tartly, surprising the couple into breaking apart. Lowa told herself that she took no pleasure from interrupting a loving and healthy relationship, but the look on Lucina’s face was undeniably hilarious.

“Er- I, uh-”

The dragon waved aside the princess’s stammers. “Don’t get yourself all worked up; I just have some things to tell you both, then you can go home and… smooch… all you want.”

“Yes, quite,” Robin said, wiggling her eyebrows.

Lucina let go of the shorter woman and took a moment to compose herself, before smiling tiredly at Lowa. “You were saying?”

“Yes, I was.” The priestess smiled thinly. “First, you should follow the usual health ideals for pregnancy; there really aren’t too many differences. Assume it’s the same except for the guidelines I’ll be giving you.”

“Alright,” Robin said as an acknowledgement. “Do you, uh, have those in book form, too?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. Aya!” Lowa shouted over her shoulder suddenly. “Get two of the maternity handbooks for our guests!”

“Aye, ma’am!” The shorter dragon’s familiar rough, accented voice called back through the hallways. “Jus’ gimme a mo’, I gotta-” She was interrupted by a thunderous _CRASH._ While Lucina and Robin jumped, Lowa only sighed.

“You’re an idiot,” the priestess said affectionately. “Pardon me for a moment, would you? I need to talk some sanity into our intern.” That was directed to her company, both of whom nodded. At that, Lowa dashed into the corridor, on all fours and wings tucked to her side for maximum speed.

For the moment, there was relative quiet in the main hall; the two priestesses weren’t yelling anymore, so neither of the couple could make out their words. “They’re quite the characters, aren’t they?” Robin said conversationally.

“Yeah, they are.” Lucina seemed distracted.

With a sigh, the blonde turned in her spot and dropped a quick kiss on her wife’s cheek, snapping her out of her daze. “You’re worrying about this too much,” Robin said when she got the bluette’s eyes to meet hers. “It’s not like we could have done anything to prevent it; we couldn’t have known.”

“Of _course_ we could have done something about it,” Lucina growled, more to herself than Robin. “If I could have just kept it in my pants-”

“Stop that, Luci.” Robin’s face was serious. “I told you the desire was mutual, for goodness sake! You absolutely _cannot_ blame just yourself for this, if you blame anyone at all.”

“But-” The bluette stopped at the look on her wifes face, and took a deep breath before continuing. “I couldn’t blame you,” she said at last, her voice soft.

“Then you have your answer.” Robin reached a hand up to cup Lucina’s cheek. “Don’t blame anyone. It is what it is, okay? You haven’t hurt me. You haven’t hurt anyone.”

The princess closed her eyes, leaning her cheek into the blonde’s hand, before letting out a shuddering sigh and looking back to Robin. “Alright. I’ll stop blaming myself for this. …At least, I’ll try my best. For you.” The shorter girl smiled warmly at the last two words.

 

* * *

 

Lowa came back not long after that, a disheveled- and humbled-looking Aya at her heels. “Sorry for all the delays,” she had said. “This one’s speciality doesn’t exactly lie in coordination or subtlety.”

“I can see that,” Robin responded gravely.

Lowa chuckled, while Aya hid her head under her wings. “Here; have your books, first of all.” The tactician took them gratefully, placing them immediately into the bag she kept slung across her shoulder. “I’ll count as your overseeing doctor for this, so clear a few hours on a day in your schedules every… oh, about two weeks for a checkup. It can vary, if you really need it to. I’m not doing anything else important.”

Lucin frowned. “How are we supposed to get to you, through? Or vice versa?”

“It’ll be me coming to you, and don’t worry about that.” Here the priestess shot a knowing grin to Aya, which she returned. “After all, distance is very easy for us Nagaians.”

Despite the couple’s best efforts, the two dragons wouldn’t say any more on what they meant by that. Eventually, they gave up; the princess and tactician had many other things to do that were a shade more important. They said their farewells, and Aya gave them a parting gift when they were aboveground again- a strange locket and chain, made out of a silvery-green metal that felt oddly warm, as if it generated its own heat. “Wear this,” the priestess-intern had said, placing it in Robin’s palm and closing the blonde’s fingers around it. “I’ve been honing my Anticipation, and while I can’t make out any reason or drive behind it, I sense that you should take it. Sorry for being so vague, but that’s how it goes, I suppose.”

The circle-shaped locket pendant, upon closer inspection, opened to reveal a glass bubble, an odd liquid inside; it was vaguely blue, more than the colors around it would have made sense for it to be. The glass was protected by the inside of the locket, stuck firmly in place; creating a rather odd but beautiful effect of the gentle curves of glass and fluid swishing with gravity against the solid metal. The other half that came away as a door had an indent that fit the glass perfectly.

On the outside of that door was an intricate, abstract design of slightly darker-colored metal, inlaid so the surface was smooth as if it wasn’t there. On the other side was a very different design, through it used the same color and felt the same as the front; Lucina said it resembled a girl dancing, while Robin admitted it looked more like a butterfly to her. Intriguingly, the tactician thought she saw little traces of red, gold, and blue on the front design, but when she pointed it out to the princess, Lucina didn’t know what she was talking about; and when Robin looked back at it, she couldn’t see it anymore. She dismissed it as a figment of her imagination.

When the pair returned to camp, it was decided that the news be kept quiet at first for the sake of the couple’s privacy and preventing tension on the war trail. Aside from the obvious choice of Chrom, Lissa was informed, as well as Morgan; the latter only because he could tell something was up and wouldn’t stop pestering them until they told. All of them were then sworn into silence, Lucina included; Robin said that this was just as much the princess’s secret as it was hers, but this one, Lucina didn’t budge on.

By then, the day was a little more than halfway over, so the company began on their journey back. They were tired, and eager to rejoin those who had stayed in Ylisse for its protection; and of course, start on the mission they had left before them.

For that time, they allowed themselves to indulge their weariness, letting go of caution in favor of a brief respite. After all, they had no enemies here; why waste the energy of worrying on such a moment?

Sometimes, a moment was all it took.

 

* * *

 

Not all that far away, an entity which cannot be easily described in the words of any human tongue watched.

It had watched for a long time.

It had waited for a long time.

Now, as the sound of hoofbeats and moving horsedrawn loads grew louder and closer, and the chill blanket of dusk began to wrap itself over the world, its watching was finally done.

Somewhere, in the vast, empty, freezing fields of Plegia, an inhuman face pulled its lips back in a horrid imitation of a smile. It and its pack would soon get their first taste of blood since their creation years ago. It could be patient for a few more hours.


End file.
